Ginger and Rosa + The Host

T'other week two, count 'em, two movies with AG actresses arrived in town. I took a look at my schedule and decided to do something I do occasionally; take in both on the same day.

The Host stars Saoirse Ronan and is based on a Sci-Fi novel by Twilight scribe Stephenie Meyer. Its premise is that the alien invasion is a rousing success, and all but over. The neon space caterpillars implant themselves into the dominant life form and control their host. But in Ms. Ronan's case, the implant isn't entirely successful and our alien friend finds a rather chatty mind just below the surface ( and occasionally able to lash out. )

There are complications with a BF, a nest of hidden human resistance, and a rather monomaniacal "seeker" out to find more human hosts.

The biggest issue most folks have is all the Saoirse/Saoirse internal monologues. But hey, I'm used to weird films, and was perfectly OK with it. I just wonder when the author Ms. Meyer will jettison the two-guys-fighting-over-one-girl theme. It felt a bit Edward/Jacob-ish. ( Though, technically, they're fighting over two persons in one body..... [ which is also true of Twilight when you take into account that Jacob only wants Bella for her fetus. ] )

Ms. Ronan is as lovely as ever. And I can only fault the cinematography by contrast, because the camera which shot Hanna was in lust with her, and this one merely adores her. :)

BTW: while I won't spoil it; just when you think you know where it must end, it goes someplace even better with a cameo from another of our favourite actresses.
Ginger and Rosa is a period piece set in early 60s England starring Elle Fanning. ( I had just earlier caught up with Now Is Good on DVD. So I saw both Fanning girls playing British lasses. [ But it was a fair exchange since The Host stars a daughter of Erin playing a Yank. ] )

Its about the friendship between two teenage girls at the dawn of the anti-nuclear movement. Ginger ( Elle's ) father is a card-carrying radical who is both selfless and extremely selfish as someone whose ideology always manages to shore-up doing what occurs to him in the moment.

Much has been said about the reverse-Dawson-casting of Elle as a late-teen. To me its no biggie. She is a world-class actress. And Hollywood loves to keep shrinky-dinks like Hayden Panettiere playing kids well into adulthood. Why on Earth shouldn't a girl who shot-up recently and is now filling-out not be allowed to play the age she can pass-for as well?

There are a lot of great scenes which show off how filled-out she is. ( Including one of Elle and Alice Englert's character Rosa sharing a bathtub in their bras and their not-yet shrunk-to-fit-jeans. )

I'm glad to see Elle balancing more popular film fare ( Super 8, We Bought A Zoo ) with artsy fare (Somewhere, and now this one. )

I recommend both films. And even moreso, I recommend making a day an LG or AG-fest if your schedule permits :)

Dante